To DIY for

This is the time of year when you have to work out what to do with the accumulated presents you didn't want.

Take them to the charity shop? Or recycle them as gifts for others?

And it's also time to buy yourself something nice that you do want or need, ideally something with which to face the coming year. What could be better than a tool belt?

If you are just starting out in DIY, the belt will suffice as your toolbox, which you should begin stocking immediately. If you are already a practising, or lapsed, DIY-er, then the belt will do much to reinvigorate your enthusiasm, particularly when used in conjunction with a new year resolution.

If you have nothing to put in your belt, get a tape measure, some bull-nosed pliers, some thin-nosed pliers and at least one screwdriver, because tool belts always have pockets for these. Front pouches should carry a selection of Rawlplugs, screws and nails, ideally compartmentalised but inevitably mixed with chewing gum, gaffer tape and sawdust.

If you haven't got one, then a claw hammer is a good investment, and swings nicely from the hammer ring attachment. If your belt doesn't have one, don't worry, you can add it on later as a modular unit. That's another great thing about tool belts: you can upgrade them with new pouches and attachments that slot on as your confidence grows/decreases and you enhance your skills/overcompensate for your weakness.

Belts also often have slots for a sharpened pencil stub, but the proper place for this is behind your ear.